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Because of the complex mechanisms mediating cancer onset, prognosis, and metastatic behavior, different therapeutic approaches targeting these mechanisms have been investigated. Recent advancements in nanocarrier-based drug and gene delivery methods have encouraged scientific groups to investigate various novel therapeutic techniques. In this study, a poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) polymer-based gene carrier containing the cathepsin B-enzyme sensitive sequence (glycine-phenylalanine-leucine-glycine, GFLG) was evaluated to determine transfection efficiency. Following the GFLG sequence, the surface of PAMAM generation 4 (G4) was conjugated with histidine (H) and arginine (R) for improved endosomal escape and cellular uptake, respectively. The successful synthesis of G4-GLFG-H-R was confirmed by H-1-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The polyplex composed of G4-GLFG-H-R and pDNA was simulated by the enzyme cathepsin B and induced endosomal escape of pDNA, which was confirmed by gel electrophoresis. Compared with the G4 control, enzyme-sensitive G4-GLFG-H-R showed higher transfection efficiency and lower cytotoxicity in HeLa cells. These results demonstrated that G4-GLFG-H-R may be a highly potent and efficient carrier for gene therapy applications.

• Mitochondria are exclusively employed to produce energy required for the vital metabolic functions of the cell. However, mitochondria also play a key role in mammalian cell death. Dissipation in the mitochondria membrane potential causes cell death. Therefore, in cancer therapy, mitochondria are a novel target. Herein, we developed a nano-formulation of Antimycin A specifically targeted towards mitochondria and lung cancer; A549 cell. The liposomes were prepared using cholesterol and a mitochondria-penetrating peptide (MPP) having a phenylalanine-arginine-phenylalanine-lysine (FRFK) peptide sequence. The FRFK peptide was synthesized using solid phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) and contained cholesterol in the N-terminal end of the phenylalanine (Chol-FRFK). The synthesized material was confirmed using 1H NMR, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI TOF/MS). 1,2-Dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (DOPE) and Chol-FRFK, at a molar ratio of 1:1, were used for liposomal (Chol-FRFK/D) formulations; the sizes of the liposomes were confirmed using dynamic light scattering (DLS). Cytotoxicity was evaluated in A549 cells. Cellular uptake and mitochondria targeting were confirmed by flow cytometry and confocal microscopy, respectively. Antimycin A, a hydrophobic and mitochondrial electron transporter inhibitor was encapsulated into the Chol-FRFK/D liposomes. Our results indicate that Chol-FRFK/D liposomes may potentially be used for the nano-formulation of cytotoxic drugs and enhancing their bioavailability in cancer therapy.

Inositol polyphosphate multikinase acts as a key determinant of inflammation by stabilizing the signaling adaptor TRAF6., Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling is tightly controlled to protect hosts from microorganisms while simultaneously preventing uncontrolled immune responses. Tumor necrosis factor receptor–associated factor 6 (TRAF6) is a critical mediator of TLR signaling, but the precise mechanism of how TRAF6 protein stability is strictly controlled still remains obscure. We show that myeloid-specific deletion of inositol polyphosphate multikinase (IPMK), which has both inositol polyphosphate kinase activities and noncatalytic signaling functions, protects mice against polymicrobial sepsis and lipopolysaccharide-induced systemic inflammation. IPMK depletion in macrophages results in decreased levels of TRAF6 protein, thereby dampening TLR-induced signaling and proinflammatory cytokine production. Mechanistically, the regulatory role of IPMK is independent of its catalytic function, instead reflecting its direct binding to TRAF6. This interaction stabilizes TRAF6 by blocking its K48-linked ubiquitination and subsequent degradation by the proteasome. Thus, these findings identify IPMK as a key determinant of TRAF6 stability and elucidate the physiological function of IPMK in TLR-induced innate immunity.

Mitochondria are targets with great potential for therapeutics for many human disorders. However, drug delivery systems for such therapeutics remain in need of more efficient mitochondrial-targeting carriers. In this study, we report that nanosomes composed of Dequalinium/DOTAP (1,2-dioleoyl-3-trimethylammonium-propane)/DOPE (1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine), called DQA80s, can act in the dual role of mitochondrial-targeting carrier and anticancer agent for therapeutic interventions against mitochondrial diseases. In cytotoxicity assays, DQA80s were shown to be more toxic than DQAsomes. The DQA80s showed significantly increased cellular uptake as compared to that of DQAsomes, and DQA80s also showed more efficient escape from the endolysosome to the cytosol. We observed the efficient targeting of DQA80s to mitochondria in living cells using flow cytometry, confocal microscopy, and TEM imaging. We also found evidence of anticancer potential that mitochondrial-targeted DQA80s induced apoptosis by production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) via MAPK signaling pathways, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, and the caspase-3 activation. The present study demonstrates that DQA80s have excellent dual potential both as a carrier and as an anticancer therapeutic for mitochondria-related disease therapy in vivo.

The chondrogenic differentiation process of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) passes through multiple stages, which are carried out by various factors and their interactions. Recently, microRNAs that regulate chondrogenic differentiation have been reported. However, microRNA that regulates SRY-related high mobility group-box gene 9 (Sox9), a chondrogenic key factor, has not been identified in hMSC. In this study, we identified that microRNA-495 (miR-495) is an important regulator of hMSC chondrogenic differentiation. In our microarray, miR-495 was downregulated during transforming growth factor (TGF)-β3-induced chondrogenic differentiation of hMSCs in vitro. We found that there is an miR-495 binding site in the 3' untranslated region (3'UTR) of Sox9. We confirmed opposite expression between miR-495 and Sox9 by using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Further, overexpression of miR-495 inhibited Sox9 expression, and repression of miR-495 increased expression of Sox9 in SW1353 cells and hMSCs. Additionally, luciferase analysis revealed that miR-495 directly binds to the Sox9 3'UTR, and we confirmed a seed sequence of miR-495 on the Sox9 3'UTR. Subsequently, overexpression of miR-495 repressed the expression of the extracellular matrix (ECM) protein, such as type II collagen (Col2A1), aggrecan, and proteoglycan products, whereas inhibition of miR-495 increased their expression. Collectively, this study indicates that miR-495 directly targets Sox9, ultimately leading to the regulation of chondrogenic differentiation in hMSCs.

The goal of this paper is to invent a simulation tool for developers of electric vehicle unit system. An electric vehicle simulator structured by MATLAB/SIMULINK can change all kinds of important parameters to use GUI and observe the results. Also, if it has a new MATLAB/SIMULINK model or an experimental data of an invented component, it can be applied to perform a simulation. Additionally, we conducted a simulation in a virtual environment with a model, inventing practical driver conduct, and thus we could obtain a practically reliable simulation data. On this paper, we present each characteristic briefly and finally set Nissan Leaf vehicle as a simulator to show possibilities of a simulator as the simulator obtains similar results compared with a practical vehicle.

Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (BM-MSCs) are a heterogeneous population of cells that differ in size and morphology. BM-MSCs become committed to the osteogenic lineage as senescence approaches and lose multipotency. Nevertheless, little is known about the effects of cell-cell interaction between different populations on stemness loss and lineage commitment. The current study aimed to identify mechanisms by which cell-cell interactions between heterogeneous BM-MSCs affect stemness and lineage commitment of multipotent subpopulation. The lineage commitment of primitive multipotent cells was strongly induced in the presence of cytokines secreted by senescent-like cells in a cell culture insert system. Senescent-like cells secreted higher levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) than primitive multipotent cells in a human cytokine array. IL-6 induced the lineage commitment and stemness loss in multipotent cells by decreasing Sox2 expression. Furthermore, we confirmed that IL-6 decreased the transcriptional activity of Sox2 through up-regulation of Runx2 and Dlx5. We suggest a mechanism by which IL-6 modulates the expression of Sox2, resulting in decreased multipotency and causing primitive multipotent cells to undergo osteogenic lineage commitment. This is the first study to identify mechanisms in which the cell-cell interactions between the different populations play important roles in the stemness loss and lineage commitment of multipotent populations.-Yoon, D. S., Kim, Y. H., Lee, S., Lee, K.-M., Park, K. H., Jang, Y., Lee, J. W. Interleukin-6 induces the lineage commitment of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal multipotent cells through down-regulation of Sox2 by osteogenic transcription factors.

The conformational relaxation of a polymer chain often slows down in various biological and engineering processes. The polymer, then, may stay in nonequilibrium states throughout the process such that one may not invoke the local thermal equilibrium (LTE) approximation, which has been usually employed to describe the kinetics of various processes. In this work, motivated by recent single-molecule experiments on DNA packaging into a viral capsid, we investigate how the nonequilibrium conformations and the LTE approximation would affect the packaging of a polymer chain into small confinement. We employ a simple but generic coarse-grained model and Langevin dynamics simulations to investigate the packaging kinetics. The polymer segments (both inside and outside the confinement) stay away from equilibrium under strong external force. We devise a simulation scheme to invoke the LTE approximation during packaging and find that the relaxation of nonequilibrium conformations plays a critical role in regulating the packaging rate.

Reduced graphene oxide (rGO) sheets were synthesized by a modified Hummer's method without additional reducing procedures, such as chemical and thermal treatment, by appropriate drying of graphite oxide under ambient atmosphere. The use of a moderate drying temperature (250°C) led to mesoporous characteristics with enhanced electrochemical activity, as confirmed by electron microscopy and N 2 adsorption studies. The dimensions of the sheets ranged from nanometres to micrometres and these sheets were entangled with each other. These morphological features of rGO tend to facilitate the movement of guest ions larger than Li + . Impressive electrochemical properties were achieved with the rGO electrodes using various charge-transfer ions, such as Li + , Na + and K + , along with high porosity. Notably, the feasibility of this system as the carbonaceous anode material for sodium battery systems is demonstrated. Furthermore, the results also suggest that the high-rate capability of the present rGO electrode can pave the way for improving the full cell characteristics, especially for preventing the potential drop in sodium-ion batteries and potassium-ion batteries, which are expected to replace the lithium-ion battery system

In this study, component design of x-EVs was performed using virtual integrated development environment (VIDE). First, component library was developed for various components such as the engine, motor, battery and transmission. Vehicle performance simulator of x-EVs was developed using MATALB SimDriveline, which consists of the powertrain system and control system. Experiment and commercial software were used for the validation. A virtual environment was developed using the 3D rendering tool to simulate the road, buildings, traffic, signal system and weather. Using the VIDE, EV range and acceleration performance for various x-EVs were evaluated to design the battery and motor specifications. In addition, an electric heater was selected as an example and its performance at the vehicle level was investigated using the VIDE. It is expected that the VIDE can be used in component design for x-EVs.

Zinc sulfide (ZnS(O)) thin films doped with Mn, Ni, and Co ions are synthesized by chemical bath deposition technique onto glass substrates. X-ray diffraction study reveals that the undoped and metal-doped ZnS(O) films possess a hexagonal wurtzite crystal structure. The morphological change, upon metal-ions doping, from nanorod structures to cluster (Mn doping), compact (Ni doping), and granular shapes (Co doping) is observed. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy reveals the presence and incorporation of metal ions into ZnS(O) lattice sites and the formation of a metal–ZnS combined structure. The band gap energy of the undoped ZnS(O) film is found to be larger than 4.0 eV, while it is 3.8, 3.7, and 3.6 eV for the Mn–ZnS(O), Ni–ZnS(O), and Co–ZnS(O) films, respectively. All the undoped and metal-doped ZnS(O) samples exhibit blue luminescence, which originates from the surface defects and trap centers. Thus, the photoluminescence (PL) (blue light emission) is due to the radiative recombination from various trap levels (shallow donor levels) to the valence band. The decrease in the PL peak intensity for the doped samples indicates the reduction of surface defects suggesting the incorporation of metal ions into the host lattice of ZnS(O). Based on the PL results, the PL energy-level diagram for the undoped and metal-doped ZnS(O) samples is proposed.

An effective synthesis strategy is employed to fabricate Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) thin films using radio frequency (rf) magnetron sputtering technique on soda lime glass substrates. The as-grown films are annealed at different temperatures ranging between 350 and 550 °C, and their chemical compositions and structural properties are investigated. The as-grown films have poor Cu/(Zn + Sn) ratios ranging between 0.39 and 0.44 and S/(Cu + Zn + Sn) ratios ranging between 0.97 and 1.21. The Cu/(Zn + Sn) ratio is improved by growing a thin additional Cu-capping layer on the as-grown film followed by annealing. An improved Cu/(Zn + Sn) ratio of ∼0.71 is obtained and the S/(Cu + Zn + Sn) ratio is slightly reduced to ∼0.85. The formation of a kesterite type CZTS is confirmed using X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy measurements. Absorption measurements and band-gap energy determination of the CZTS films are carried out in order to confirm applicability to solar cells.

In an age of globalization, culture, and especially traditional culture, has received increased attention because it can produce authentic value for a nation and can be useful for corporations. The marketing literature is undergoing a period of major reassessment in terms of the projection of traditional culture to global consumers as a consumable good. Adopting an in-depth interview method, this study investigates global consumers' perceptions of traditional culture, focusing particularly on authenticity. This study also provides implications for positioning and globalizing traditional culture, including artifact culture (lifestyle culture) and mentifact culture (cultural values). In this paper, Korean traditional culture is examined by considering the recent diffusion of Korean culture worldwide. This article contributes to the marketing literature through its novel study of traditional culture and focus on authenticity; it may also enrich the tourism literature. The results of this study contribute to ...

microRNAs are small molecules, about 17-23 nucleotides in length, that act as translational regulators of their target gene. By binding to a target, microRNAs are known to either inhibit translation or induce degradation of the target. Despite the great interest in microRNAs, however, the exact targets of each individual microRNA in different processes remain largely unknown. In this study, we determined that the lymphoid enhancer-binding factor-1 (LEF-1) was expressed during the chondrogenesis of human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBM-MSCs) and sought to identify a novel microRNA targeting this gene. Through subsequent studies, we have identified, for the first time, one particular microRNA, miR-449a, that recognizes and regulates the expression of LEF-1 in a dose-dependent and sequence-specific manner. In addition, we observed that the inhibition of LEF-1 via miR-449a led to the subsequent repression of Sox 9, which is a well-established regulator of chondrogenesis. Collectively, this study demonstrated that miR-449a directly targets LEF-1, which in turn affects the expression of Sox 9, ultimately leading to the proper regulation of the differentiation and chondrogenesis of human MSCs (hBM-MSCs).

Mitochondria dysfunction plays a role in many human diseases. Therapeutic techniques for these disorders require novel delivery systems that can specifically target and penetrate mitochondria. In this study, we report a novel nanosome composed of dequalinium-DOTAP-DOPE (1,2 dioleoyl-3-trimethylammonium-propane-1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine) (DQA80s) as a potential mitochondria-targeting delivery vector. The functional DQAsome, DQA80s, showed enhanced transfection efficiency compared to a vector DQAsomes in HeLa cells and dermal fibroblasts. In addition, DQA80s/pDNA complexes exhibited rapid escape from the endosome into the cytosol. We observed the delivery of pDNA to mitochondria in living cells using flow cytometry, confocal microscopy, and TME imaging. More specifically, we confirmed our results by co-localization of hmtZsGreen constructs to mitochondria when delivered via DQAsomes and DQA80s in living cells. The mitochondria-targeting DQAsomes and DQA80s induced mitochondrial dysfunction through depolarization of mitochondrial membrane potential. Our data demonstrate that DQA80s show promise for use as a mitochondria-targeted carrier system for treatment of mitochondria diseases in vivo.

The purpose of the recent cyber-incidents and violations are social chaos and political purposes beyond a simple behavior such as personal show of and try to achieve the financial objectives. But analyses of the single cyber incident, because they cannot organically establish a connection with each cyber incident, have limits to find relations with other attacks and predict a possible next attack based on similar types of incidents. This paper will suggest a way to index the cyber-threat data to find relations with each cyber-attacks. For getting related information with each cyber-attack data, we suggest the system of collecting and managing cyber-threat resource.

Inositol pyrophosphates such as 5-diphosphoinositol pentakisphosphate (5-IP7) are highly energetic inositol metabolites containing phosphoanhydride bonds. Although inositol pyrophosphates are known to regulate various biological events, including growth, survival, and metabolism, the molecular sites of 5-IP7 action in vesicle trafficking have remained largely elusive. We report here that elevated 5-IP7 levels, caused by overexpression of inositol hexakisphosphate (IP6) kinase 1 (IP6K1), suppressed depolarization-induced neurotransmitter release from PC12 cells. Conversely, IP6K1 depletion decreased intracellular 5-IP7 concentrations, leading to increased neurotransmitter release. Consistently, knockdown of IP6K1 in cultured hippocampal neurons augmented action potential-driven synaptic vesicle exocytosis at synapses. Using a FRET-based in vitro vesicle fusion assay, we found that 5-IP7, but not 1-IP7, exhibited significantly higher inhibitory activity toward synaptic vesicle exocytosis than IP6 Synaptotagmin 1 (Syt1), a Ca(2+) sensor essential for synaptic membrane fusion, was identified as a molecular target of 5-IP7 Notably, 5-IP7 showed a 45-fold higher binding affinity for Syt1 compared with IP6 In addition, 5-IP7-dependent inhibition of synaptic vesicle fusion was abolished by increasing Ca(2+) levels. Thus, 5-IP7 appears to act through Syt1 binding to interfere with the fusogenic activity of Ca(2+) These findings reveal a role of 5-IP7 as a potent inhibitor of Syt1 in controlling the synaptic exocytotic pathway and expand our understanding of the signaling mechanisms of inositol pyrophosphates.

Background Hepatitis B is an important disease of ethnic disparity which affects Asian Americans and other minority populations disproportionately. Despite the high prevalence of hepatitis B in Asian Americans, many of them remain unscreened and untreated. A majority of the individuals chronically infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) are not linked to care, for instance, due to a lack of culturally competent programs. There are many serious barriers preventing linkage to care (LTC), including personal, socio-cultural, and economic issues. The purpose of this study was to evaluate various barriers affecting LTC and to investigate the role and efficacy of a community-based Patient Navigator (PN) program in expediting LTC and in improving health outcomes for hepatitis B patients in a high risk population. Methods A total of 45 individuals chronically infected with HBV were identified through community screening events and were subsequently linked to patient navigators (PN), who then arranged for the patients to have a medical evaluation with a provider of their choice in their communities. The navigators kept detailed records of the patients’ progress towards goal, and planned follow up visits for each patient. A self-report questionnaire was employed to assess patients’ demographics, history of HBV infection, and barriers in accessing health care. Specifically, the levels of importance of the barriers due to language, culture, financial reasons were assessed. Results The study revealed that 38 of the 45 HBV infected individuals knew about their infection status from previous screening. Forty two out of 45 HBV infected individuals were linked to care within a 12 month period, demonstrating a high linkage rate. Most significant barriers identified were language and finance, followed by cultural barrier and others. Conclusion There are specific barriers to accessing adequate care for the patients affected by chronic hepatitis B (CHB) in Korean American community. The implementation of a PN program in conjunction with the community network of health care providers may help to overcome the barriers and facilitate LTC in hepatitis B.

Currently, we are faced with a major problem concerning the use of malicious codes in hacking attacks, which is becoming increasingly intelligent. We became curious about the major factors behind the cyber incident, which prompted us to conduct research about the weighted value of resources that are used to commit malicious acts. The major approach of this paper consists in calculating the weighted value based on the total amount of information collected from various channels. The weighted value based on the PageRank algorithm is the outcome of complex arithmetic operations about correlations among resources. This study proposes a methodology for calculating a malicious citation index using Googles' PageRank algorithm, such as replacing PageRank's link with a correlation.

Due to the rapid development of the IT industry, the threat of cyber-attacks has been increasing gradually and more intelligent. These days, the same attack groups carry out cyber-attack continuously by using their resources that are necessary to the attack. To respond more effectively to cyber terrors occurred by same the attack groups with the same purpose, we need to detect the same attack groups by comparing similarity of attack-resources. In this paper, we propose the prediction of the same group by comparing similarity of distributed domain (that is one of attack resources).

The leaves of Perilla frutescens var. acuta (PFA) are commonly used as a traditional medicine in Korea, Japan, and China. We previously showed that PFA attenuates eye fatigue by improving visual accommodation through a clinical study. However, detailed mechanisms and chemical compounds have not been studied. In this study, we analyzed the active compounds in an aqueous extract of PFA involved in ciliary muscle relaxation in vitro and in vivo. NMR and MS analyses showed that the PFA extract contained mainly luteolin-7-O-diglucuronide and apigenin-7-O-diglucuronide. The composition after freeze-drying and spray-drying was similar. Freeze-dried PFA (50 &micro, g/mL, 100 &micro, g/mL, and 200 &micro, g/mL) increased nitric oxide and cGMP levels in ciliary muscle cells isolated from the eyes of rats. [Ca2+]i decreased in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, Sprague-Dawley rats treated with freeze-dried PFA (200 mg/kg, orally) showed significantly increased cGMP levels compared with the control group and irradiated with white light. Our results suggest that PFA extract has the potential to reduce eye fatigue by relaxing ciliary muscles.

For the first time, a new carbon–carbon composite electrode material for supercapacitors is prepared by simple KOH activation of waste newspaper. The amorphous nature and surface morphology of the carbon composite are investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), N 2 adsorption/desorption and scanning electron microscopy. The surface area and pore diameter are 416 m 2 g −1 and 5.9 nm, respectively. Electrochemical characteristics are evaluated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and charge–discharge tests in 6.0 M KOH at a 1 mA cm −2 current density. The CV results reveal a maximum specific capacitance of 180 F g −1 at a 2 mV s −1 scan rate and the data explore a development of new use for waste paper into a valuable energy storage material.

In this study, an engine on/off and engine operation control algorithm to improve the fuel economy was proposed for a PHEV(plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) considering driver tendency. To identify the driver tendency, a driver model was developed using VIDE(virtual integrated development environment). The target vehicle model was developed based on MATLAB/Simulink and validation of the vehicle model was performed by experiments. Using the VIDE, real drivers who have different tendency drive the PHEV in virtual environment and driving data were accumulated. Using the driving data, the driver model which can reflect the driver tendency was developed. To describe the driver tendency, degree of driver aggression(DDA) was proposed, which was determined by fuzzy logic. The DDA was applied to the PHEV control algorithm to improve the fuel economy. This algorithm controls the engine on/off and engine operation, which provides the improved fuel economy.

In this study, driving data for various types of drivers are collected using a VIDE (virtual integrated driving environment), and a driver model is developed. To represent the driver tendencies quantitatively, the DDA (degree of driver aggression) is proposed based on fuzzy logic. DDA has a 0-1 value, the closer the DDA is to one, the more aggressive the driver. Using the DDA, an engine on/off and battery charging power control algorithm are developed to improve the fuel economy of a power-split-type plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. The engine on/off control reduces the frequent engine on/off caused by aggressive driving, whereas the battery charging power control maintains the battery state of charge (SOC) by operating the engine according to the DDA. It is found that the proposed control algorithm improves fuel economy by 17.3% compared to the existing control for an aggressive driver.

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) films have been fabricated by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). The effect of the laser fluence and the substrate temperature on the properties of DLC films was systematically investigated. The substrate temperatures in the range of room temperature to 600°C were varied systematically to observe the effect of substrate temperature on the property of DLC films. Also, film depositions at laser fluences from 6 to 17 J cm −2 were investigated. High-quality DLC films were obtained with the deposition parameters of substrate temperature of 300°C and laser fluence of 12 J cm −2 .

This study explores the meaning of Cinderella archetype through the use of visual narrative art (VNA) created from the chosen motion film. First, the present study describes basic concepts of several qualitative research methodologies including visual sociology, cognitive sculpting (CS), storytelling, and VNA. Mapping contexts that the movie describes deepens the understanding of the stories and enactments. Second, the paper briefly examines the Cinderella archetype in storytelling. Finally, the paper illustrates VNA via CS of a subject movie for improving interpretations and sense-making of the story.

This study explores how consumers perceive and interpret their own use of fashion when situated in two different contexts in everyday life. The methods this study adopts include auto-driving by utilizing four pictures by two participants in dress-down and dress-up situation, the interpretive case method mainly using confirmatory personal introspection (CPI) and member checks as to elicit independent conclusions of the original emic interpretation. As a result, this study reports the projective function of fashion in the expression of oneself and personality, demonstrates how situation plays a major role in consumers’ perception and use of fashion, and addresses a series of tensions and paradox resolutions between autonomy and conformity issues in different situations. Therefore, this study confirms the perspectives of Belk (1975) and Thompson and Haytko (1997). Also, the study shows how unique meanings describe the dialogue from the process of self-introspection, confirmative evaluation by other person, and interpretation of symbolic meanings embedded in brands.

In this study, anatase-type titanium dioxide (TiO2) anodes were prepared by a polyol-assisted pyro-synthetic process followed by mild annealing in the range of 300 to 600 °C. The XRD studies confirmed the formation of anatase-type TiO2 and the Scherrer formula aided in establishing the average crystallite size to be less than 50 nm for all of the prepared samples. Electron microscopy studies revealed the average particle-size to be in the range between 5 and 50 nm whereas the adsorption studies demonstrated the mesoporous characteristics of all the prepared samples and the 500 °C electrode, in particular, exhibited tri-porosity. This unique tri-porous feature in combination with the sufficiently high particle crystallinity appears to contribute to the impressive electrochemical lithium storage (154.7 and 116.4 mAh g-1 at 3.2 and 6.4 C, respectively) in the 500 °C electrode. Furthermore, the pyro-synthetic strategy aids in developing nanostructured battery electrodes with porous morphologies and appears promising to be developed as an energy saving process for large-scale applications.

Metal-organic framework (MOF) based synthesis of battery electrodes has presently become a hot topic of significant research interest. Considering the complications to prepare Co3V2O8 due to the criticality of its stoichiometric composition, we report here by a simple MOF formation by solvothermal technique followed by air annealing to synthesize Co3V2O8 for use as potential anodes for lithium battery applications. Structrual investigations by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, high resolution electron microscopy, and surface area studies revealed that the phase pure Co3V2O8 nanoparticles are inter connected to form a sponge-like morphology with porous properties. Electrochemical measurements exposed the excellent lithium storage (~ 1000 mAhg-1 at 200 mAg-1) and retention properties (500 mAhg-1 at 1000 mAg-1 after 700 cycles) of the prepared Co3V2O8 electrode. A notable rate performance of 430 mAhg-1 at 3200 mAg-1 was also observed and ex-situ analysis confirmed the morphological and structural stability of this material after long cycles performance. These results validate that the unique nanostructured morphology arising from the use of the ordered array of MOF networks is favorable for improving the cyclability and rate capability in battery electrodes. The synthetic strategy presented herein may provide solutions to develop phase pure mixed metal oxides for high performance electrodes for useful energy storage applications. Figure 1

Nowadays, extensive researches to overcome the world energy crisis has emphasized the urgent necessity of developing sustainable energy storage systems. The rechargeable lithium-ion battery (LIB) dominates today's battery market for portable device applications. Nonetheless, the crucial issues concerning its safety, eco-friendliness, and cost-effectiveness, as well as the controversies associated with the availability of lithium resources, have led to the continuous exploration of new battery chemistries. Sodium-ion, potassium-ion, and aluminum-ion batteries are promising alternative since these devices are based on relatively abundant and cheap sodium, potassium, and aluminum elements, respectively. However, these battery systems also suffer from complicated issues of safety, processing costs, and environmental concerns. Earlier efforts for developing a rechargeable aqueous zinc-ion battery (ZIB), which facilitates energy storage application via zinc-ion insertion/extraction, has opened the way for the realization of safe, environmentally benign and cost-effective next generation energy storage system. ZIB is still in the stage of early phase of development, therefore, fundamental studies concentrating on the zinc-ion insertion mechanism is an attractive goal to pursue. In this work, we used nanorod alpha-type manganese dioxide cathode for ZIB application. Alpha-type manganese deioxide was prepared by a simple hydrothermal synthesis. SEM and TEM studies showed rod-type sample with approximately 20 and 200 nm of width and length, respectively. The nanorod cathode exhibited an initial discharge capacity of 176.8 mAh g-1 at a current density of 83 mA g-1 and demonstrated nearly 100% Coulombic efficiencies under prolonged cycling when tested for zinc storage properties. Rate performance measurements revealed that specific capacities of 43.33 and 31.48 mAh g-1 were registered at current densities as high as 1333 and 1666 mA g-1. A combination of ex-situ synchrotron XRD and XAS studies confirmed the reversibility of electrochemical zinc-ion insertion into [2x2] tunnels of the alpha-type manganese dioxide host structure. The host exhibits structural stability by accommodating an unit cell volume expansion of approximately 3.12% during Zn-insertion. The present study hence paves the way for further development of rechargeable aqueous ZIB as an alternative ideal energy storage system due to its excellent safety and reliability. Figure 1

In “the century of culture,” a current drift is toward utilizing cultural heritage branding. Cultural heritage brand referred to in this study means a brand with value proposition based on cultural heritage. As Asian cultures are gathering global focus amid ongoing trend of exoticism and the growth of Asian economies, there is more opportunity especially for Asian brands to benefit from cultural heritage branding. Also, the advantages of cultural heritage branding can benefit fashion brands, considering that designs of great importance in fashion brand's competitiveness can earn creativity and originality from cultural heritage. Therefore, this study (1) profiles cultural heritage fashion brands based on Asia: Japan, China, and Korea, (2) identifies components of cultural heritage fashion branding by comparative analysis, and (3) identifies characteristics in brand management strategy from the brands, and offer managerial implications for upcoming cultural heritage fashion brands. This study adopts a case study approach that focuses on Asian fashion brands; Issey Miyake (Japan), Shanghai Tang (China), and Damyeon designed by Lee Hye Soon (Korea). The analytical contents of this research include general profiles (i.e., brand history, brand philosophy and concept, and BI and visual representation), cultural heritage perspectives and brand management perspective (i.e., product, price, place, promotion, and brand extension). Most of the information was retrieved from multiple sources including books, academic papers, brand's annual report, brand official website, news articles, etc. Overall, this study shows cultural heritage fashion branding can be useful in distinctiveness in positioning and delivering brand value in depth, authenticity, and credibility for customers (Urde, 2007). The findings suggest some managerial as well as cultural heritage-related indications for upcoming cultural heritage fashion brands. Although common components of cultural heritage fashion branding (i.e., utilization of traditional prototype, emphasis on traditional fabric, and preservation of traditional craftsmanship) were drawn out, achieving optimal balance between tradition and modernity was found critical as well. Managerial guidelines include foreign brand naming, premium pricing, art-related promotions, and extension for a total lifestyle brand. In further research, the type of industry and different country-of-origins can be applied in order to extensively study about the issue of cultural heritage branding.

The COsmic ray Research and Education Array (COREA) collaboration has installed an array of six detector stations at two high schools in and near Seoul, Korea for measurement of air‐shower events from high‐energy cosmic rays. Three stations are installed at each site, where each station consists of four plastic scintillation detectors covering an area of 2m2. In this presentation, we report the currenst status of the COREA project, describing the experimental equipment and measurement of coincident events.

Inositol pyrophosphates such as IP7 (5-diphosphoinositol pentakisphosphate) are highly energetic inositol metabolites containing pyrophosphate bonds. While IP7 are known to regulate various biological events like metabolism, the molecular site of IP7 action in vesicle trafficking remains elusive. Here, we showed that IP7 potently inhibits synaptic vesicle exocytosis in both invitro reconstitution and cell culture settings. IP7 was identified as a high-affinity ligand for synaptotagmin 1 (Syt1), a calcium sensor essential for membrane fusion. Interactions of IP7 with Syt1 reduced the binding between Syt1 and Ca2+ as well as endowed Syt1 with its own negative effect, thereby suppressing Syt1 activation. These findings reveal a role of IP7 as an inhibitor of the exocytotic pathway and expand our understanding of the signaling mechanisms of inositol pyrophosphates.

An android is a robot which resembles human especially appearance and behavior. This robot is usually used for an emcee, a desk clerk, a teacher and so on. Its motion should be accurate and correspond to what it tells because a little difference of motion may bring misunderstanding. Comparing a humanoid, an android should resemble human more strictly because not-quite-high quality of mimicry leads peoplepsilas hatred.

Earlier efforts to develop an aqueous zinc-ion battery (ZIB), which facilitates energy storage/conversion via Zn-ion intercalation/de-intercalation, has paved the way not only to realizing safe and environmentally benign energy devices, but also to reducing the processing costs of next generation batteries. [1,2] From the viewpoint of developing low-cost and environmentally safe rechargeable batteries that can be easily scaled up for large-scale production, the present study reports on a high surface area mesoporous tunnel-type γ-MnO2 cathode obtained by a simple template-free ambient temperature strategy and subsequent annealing at low temperatures for ZIB applications. An in-depth study on the structural transformation in a mesoporous γ-MnO2 cathode during electrochemical reaction in a zinc-ion battery (ZIB) has been conducted. A combination analyses of in-situ synchrotron XANES and XRD reveal that the tunnel-type parent γ-MnO2 experiences a structural transformation to spinel-type Mn(III) phase (ZnMn2O4) and two new intermediary Mn(II) phases namely, tunnel-type γ-ZnxMnO2 and layered-type L-ZnyMnO2 and that these phases with multioxidation states co-exist after complete electrochemical Zn-intercalation. On sequential Zn-de-intercalation, a majority of these phases with multi-oxidation states was observed to revert back to the parent γ-MnO2 phase. The mesoporous γ-MnO2 cathode exhibits an initial discharge capacity of 285 mAh g-1 at 0.05 mA cm-2 with a defined plateau at around 1.25 V vs. Zn/Zn2+. Further, ex-situ HR-TEM studies of the discharged electrode aided to identify the lattice fringe widths corresponding to the Mn(III) and Mn(II) phases and the stoichiometric composition estimated by ICP appear to be in agreement with the in-situ findings. References C. Xu, B. Li, H. Du, F. Kang, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 51, 933, (2012). C. Yuan, Y. Zhang, Y. Pan, X. Liu, G. Wang, D. Cao, Electrochim. Acta, 116, 404 (2014).

In mixtures of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and sodium perfluorooctanoate (FC 7 ) in aqueous solution, novel bilayer cylinders with hemispherical end caps and open, flat discs coexist with spherical unilamellar vesicles, apparently at equilibrium. Such equilibrium among bilayer cylinders, spheres, and discs is only possible for systems with a spontaneous curvature, R o , and a positive Gaussian curvature modulus, κ̄. We have measured the size distributions of the spherical vesicles, cylinders, and discs by using cryo-electron microscopy; a simple analysis of this length distribution allows us to independently determine that the mean curvature modulus, κ ≈ 5 ± 1 k B T and κ̄ ≈ 2 ± 1 k B T. This is one of the few situations in which R o , κ, and κ̄ can be determined from the same experiment. From a similar analysis of the disk size distribution, we find that the edges of the discs are likely stabilized by excess CTAB. The fraction of discs, spherical vesicles, and cylinders depends on the CTAB/FC 7 mole ratio: increasing CTAB favors discs, while decreasing CTAB favors cylinders. This control over aggregate shape with surfactant concentration may be useful for the design of templates for polymerization, mesoporous silicates, etc.

Background Chronic hepatitis B virus(HBV) infection is a major cause of liver related morbidity and mortality. HBV infection remains largely underdiagnosed in Asian American population, and it is also poorly linked to clinical care. We, therefore, assessed the HBV prevalence and evaluated linkage to care among Korean Americans in order to develop strategic plans to reduce the impact of HBV in a high risk community. Methods Serologic screening and survey were provided to 7157 Korean American adults (age 21–100) in New Jersey between December 2009 and June 2015. All participants were tested for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), hepatitis B surface antibody (anti-HBs), and hepatitis B core IgG antibody (anti-HBc). Additional survey was conducted on the subjects chronically infected with HBV on their history of infection. Self-administered questionnaires were employed to evaluate demographic and epidemiologic characteristics. Results Of those 7157screened, 171 (2.4 %) were HBV infected, 2736(38.2 %) were susceptible to HBV, and 4250(59.4 %) were immune. The prevalence of chronic HBV varied between the age groups: 1.18 % (age21-30); 2.53 % (age 31–40); 2.76 % (age 41–50); 2.90 % (age 51–60); 2.06 % (age 61–70); and 1.37 % (age 71–100). The rate of HBsAg was significantly higher in males (3.04 %) as compared to females (1.93 %). At least 75 % of these HBV infected subjects had been previously diagnosed, but were not engaged in care. Conclusion This screening study suggests that the HBV prevalence in Korean Americans is significantly lower than currently understood. On the other hand, many of the individuals chronically infected with HBV cannot access care, suggesting a poor linkage-to-care (LTC). Further, a large percentage of the population is still susceptible to HBV. Study findings will be used to develop strategies to tailor community-based HBV screenings and LTC to the high risk populations.